


Forsythia

by ccaleb_widogast



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Anxious Caleb, But its worth it, Emotional Sex, Flirting, I promise, Long build-up, M/M, Magic Play, Mutual Attraction, Smut, Tail Kink, flirty mollymauk, magic kink, slow burn smut, tarot reading
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-02 18:04:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14550309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ccaleb_widogast/pseuds/ccaleb_widogast
Summary: “I don’t just hand out a real reading on corners and in bars,” Mollymauk said. “You want a real reading? I can give you a real reading. Upstairs, and with a proper set up. Maybe you can prove that fateful card there wrong.”He tilted his head just a bit and his grin sharpened into something more suggestive. He could see the flush spreading up Caleb’s cheeks, and that alone was another success for the evening, if nothing else.But then Caleb stood up, facing him with less than a foot between them, and Molly’s posture almost collapsed when that aura washed over him, sending shivers streaking up and down his spine. His tail lashed for a moment before wrapping securely around his ankle.“Fine,” said Caleb shortly. His face was carefully blank, but his eyes were bright, fiery, and his cheeks were red.-Mollymauk has been slowly intensifying his flirting game with Caleb as his confidence grows that the wizard is, in fact, also interested. It culminates in a tarot reading.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally prompted by an anonymous ask in my tumblr inbox asking if I had ever written smut and if I had considered writing it for the current campaign. I'm taking a break from another work, so this sprung to mind. It immediately spiraled out of control into this monster of a one-shot. My lesson learned here is that I could never write PWP even if I tried.
> 
> This is my first smut fic! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> ("Forsythia" means anticipation.)

Molly was always seeking out one thrill or another to satisfy that odd emptiness in his mind that only two conscious years of life gave him. There were so many things in the world that he  _ knew _ he hadn’t experienced yet, hadn’t discovered. Things that might kill him, things that might hurt him, but also things that might make him laugh, make him shiver in delight, and things that brought absolute bliss. 

Perhaps that was why he was so willing to try those mushrooms some weeks ago. That wasn’t one of the best moments of his experiments. But then there was first time he kissed a pretty elf and it felt like his body took over and it turned out he remembered  _ this _ as easily as he remembered how to speak Common and Infernal, and that was wonderful. There was the first time he tasted honey, or the first time a crowd applauded for his act, or the first feeling of water when he dove into a river… 

Molly had experienced a lot in two years. But he knew there were infinite things he needed to try. And he was always seeking them out. 

When he discovered that his abilities - whatever they were - granted him a sensitivity to the arcane, he felt breathless and light. He first felt it when a respected merchant passed through a town at the same time as the carnival. Swirling robes, an intricately carved staff, obviously a caster traveling with his enchanted wares. And when he walked past Molly, he could feel the charged air around the man and the hairs on the back of Molly’s neck stood on end. 

He felt it sparingly after that, and learned that small casters didn’t have as potent an aura.  _ Aura _ … yeah, there wasn’t really a better word for it. 

Then he set out on the road with a brand new group of strangers, and in the small town of Alfield, came face to face with that zinging, shivering sensation again in a cave as a man burned behind him. He knew Caleb Widogast was a wizard, but he wasn’t a very strong wizard.

Yet.

And, well. Molly wasn’t an addict by any means, but there were some sensations he liked more than others, and when the temptation was right there, how could he not?

-   -

Molly was drunk.

It was a good night. He was back in the Leaky Tap, lounging with an arm lazily slung about Jester’s shoulders while she was leaning into him and simultaneously trying to get Fjord to scooch closer to her. A fresh couple of hundred gold was in the satchel for all of them, and it felt good to not give a damn about the price of the best drinks the house had to offer.

Caleb sat next to Molly, though with a fair bit of space between them, Nott at his other side. Molly idly thought that he’d love for there to be  _ less _ space. An arm around each companion would be just wonderful right now. He was a lover of physical contact on any day, but with alcohol humming through him, the desire to just  _ feel _ another living body beside him was a temptation too hard to resist.

Caleb looked almost happy for once, chatting idly with Nott and Yasha and nursing some kind of dark ale. There was a light flush crawling up his neck that Molly couldn’t not notice, indicating that he was not as alert as his straight posture might imply. And yet, Molly didn’t want to make the quiet man too uncomfortable. Caleb was a funny fellow; he didn’t seem to have any mind for physical contact by the way of leaning against someone, touching their shoulder, bumping legs. But he was only comfortable if he was the one who made that first move. The moment Mollymauk or anyone else (usually Jester) touched him, he was tense and anxious.

Molly contented himself to lean against Jester and listen to Nott excitedly tell Caleb about the very rude man who was harassing a beggar earlier that day, from whom she had pickpocketed a fancy pocket watch. Apparently the mechanics and design of such a thing were enough to keep the goblin’s “itch” satisfied. 

As the night progressed, Molly was shrugged off by Jester, who had finally managed to inch herself close enough to drape herself over Fjord’s shoulder instead. Fjord, bless him, was doing his best to remain polite and friendly to her, but was obviously finding it difficult. 

Beau, sensing the discomfort, stood up and came around the table to tug at Jester. “You look pretty tired. I am too. We should go to bed.”

Jester pouted at Beau and then looked up at Fjord. “But I’m so comfy here,” she whined. “Don’t you think I should stay, Fjord?”

“Uh,” said Fjord gracefully. “I’m having a great time, Jester, but it is getting pretty late. Maybe you should go with Beauregard.”

The pout intensified, but Jester allowed Beau to drag her to her feet. “Well, fine,” she said. “I guess I’ll just try again tomorrow.” And with an over-exaggerated sigh, she trudged upstairs with Beau.

Fjord sagged a little and cast a sheepish glance at the others, who had all been watching the exchange with various expressions of amusement. 

“She’ll take the hint, eventually,” said Molly with a shrug. “But if you really don’t want that, you’re probably going to have to say it directly. That’s just my opinion.”

Fjord sighed and scratched his neck. “I know, I know. It’s more complicated than that. I… ah, it’ll get resolved later.” He gulped down the rest of his drink and stood up. “I think I’m going to turn in as well. I’ll see y’all in the morning.”

Molly waved him off and then scooted down the bench so he was closer to Caleb, Nott, and Yasha. He eyed Caleb as he slid closer across the bench, gauging the wizard’s reaction. He didn’t appear to react in any way. He was busy listening to Nott ask about one of Caleb’s new spells and if she would ever be able to learn something like it.

“If you study hard enough, I’m sure you could achieve anything I can,” said Caleb, a soft smile playing about his lips. Molly liked that smile. Subtle and not the most common, but always genuine.

“And you can help me, right?” asked Nott. She swayed a little as she asked. Molly thought perhaps she’d had enough to drink that night, but given that she drank all the time, it was sometimes hard to tell. 

“Of course,” Caleb replied. He frowned down at her and added, “You’re swaying a little; do you need to go to bed?”

“Maybe in a bit,” said Nott. She yawned and leaned against Caleb. 

Molly and Yasha filled the amiable silence with a casual two-person card game they’d been playing together almost since they’d met. Caleb nursed his drink (Molly had lost count of how many any of them he’d had at this point) and watched them with a sleepy, content gaze.

Carefully, as he shifted to deal the cards for each round, Molly pressed closer to Caleb, until he was touching ever-so-lightly against him from hip to knee. He kept his eyes on Yasha but his senses alert for any tensing from Caleb. He congratulated himself when he concluded that Caleb appeared unbothered. He was relaxed on the bench, abstently stroking a stray lock of hair that had fallen out of Nott’s hood, and making idle small talk between card plays. The goblin girl had fallen asleep. 

When Yasha won the last round, she stretched her arms above her head and sighed deeply. “I’m going to bed now,” she said. “I’ll take Nott upstairs, if you’d like.”

“Oh, I can take her,” said Caleb. “It won’t be a bother. It is late, after all.”

“Come now, at least finish your drink,” said Molly. He put his arm around Caleb’s shoulders and motioned to the half-full tankard. “Yasha can take care of your little friend.”

The flush, he noticed, was a little deeper. Given how pale Caleb was, Molly was unsurprised that his level of drunkenness showed so easily on his skin. Said drunkenness was probably the only reason that he agreed to stay with Molly and finish his drink as Yasha gently scooped Nott into her arms and carried her, still asleep, up the stairs.

“It shows a lot of trust for all of you, that she fell asleep and did not wake up when Yasha picked her up,” said Caleb idly. He took a swig of his drink and stared at the staircase leading to their room for a few moments. Then he finally seemed to become aware of how close Molly was to him, and he shifted slightly to frown curiously at the tiefling. “When did you get so close?”

Molly let out a chuckle and shrugged languidly. “It’s been a steady work in progress.” Caleb hadn’t tensed up and didn’t look nervous - just a little confused - so Molly didn’t move. He instead grinned at the wizard, and squeezed his shoulder with the arm draped around him. With the other hand, he reached out for his own tankard and took a long drink. He could feel Caleb watching him.

Molly set the tankard down and stared intently into the cool blue eyes of his companion. “Did you want to be left alone?” he asked, dropping his voice just a bit in that way he knew so many people in the past two years loved so much.

-   -

Caleb felt hot and a little dizzy and the atmosphere was that perfect mix of hazy and sharp that made him feel like he could just float away into the heavens right now, while still being held firmly and comfortably in the arms of - of someone he trusted.

_ Hmm _ . That was Mollymauk with his arm so casually around his shoulders, absently stroking swirls on his arm. He did trust Mollymauk, though. He thought perhaps it was just as teammates, as partners and companions in the odd group they had formed. But perhaps it was more than that. 

Or, perhaps, Caleb was drunk.

All the same,  _ no _ , he didn’t really want to be left alone. He was comfortable. This was a kind of fuzzy comfortable he hadn’t felt for a very long time. 

He lost track of how long he had been staring blankly at his ale, mulling over the warmth, until the tracing on his arm stopped and he was prodded gently. “You alright, there?” asked Mollymauk, dipping his head down to look closely at Caleb.

Caleb stuttered for a moment and averted his eyes. “Oh,  _ ja _ , just thinking.” He was thinking he wanted to lean into that touch but was too nervous too, even with his world spinning from the ale. But he didn’t move away. He tried to keep as casually, perfectly still as he could while not being too tense. It was a very tough act to keep up. 

Anxiety was weird. 

Mollymauk hummed thoughtfully, and Caleb felt a small  _ zing _ run down his spine from the vibration of the hum. Wow, he really was intoxicated to be feeling this sensitive. Perhaps he needed to go to bed. 

With perfect timing, Mollymauk gently nudged Caleb and said quietly, “I think it’s time for bed, yeah?”

His mind immediately went to everything that could happen  _ in bed _ , and he had to stop himself from choking. He tried to hide the reaction by downing the rest of his ale in one go. Then he stood up, nodding. “Bed sounds nice.”

Mollymauk was grinning, the bastard, and Caleb had to look away again. He shuffled awkwardly, and began walking towards the stairs. 

Mollymauk followed at a slow pace and Caleb thought he could feel the tiefling’s gaze at his back, though he couldn’t know for sure. It still left him on his toes and with that tightness in his chest that could be panic or nervousness or anticipation. 

Mollymauk’s room was beyond Caleb’s, and when Caleb paused outside of his own room, so did Mollymauk. He was smiling in a relaxed, lazy way that reminded Caleb of a cat lounging in sunlight. 

“You should drink a little more often,” said Mollymauk. His gaze flickered unashamedly up and down and Caleb felt his flush intensify. Mollymauk laughed, then leaned in a little bit, his grin widening.

Caleb fumbled, “I, uh, don’t particularly enjoy the effects all of the time.” Damned if he wasn’t enjoying them a little bit right now, but the swirl of nervousness and  _ something else _ combined was a little overwhelming.

Mollymauk seemed to feign a disappointed expression. “Aw, but it’s a wonderful look on you.” He stepped forward and Caleb instinctively pressed against the door behind him. 

“I think, perhaps, you need to drink a little bit less, Mollymauk,” he said slowly, trying to avoid the tiefling’s piercing gaze.

Mollymauk laughed at that, a low and wonderful sound. Caleb cursed himself. He absolutely should  _ not  _ drink more often. In fact, he probably should never drink again. His inhibitions were sideways, and he couldn’t make any sense of what was going on in his chest. His heart was pounding, and his stomach felt simultaneously tight and fluttery. His face was hot and he felt choked. And still, a part of him was revelling in this feeling of being  _ released _ and able to feel something like this again.

Mollymauk rocked back on his heels once, looking thoughtful. Then he slowly reached up and gently combed some of Caleb’s messy hair back behind his ear. He did it slowly enough that Caleb could have ducked away or said no, and a small voice in his head was instantly thankful for that. Except he didn’t stop him, although he didn’t do much else either. He stood half frozen, his eyes now locked with Mollymauk’s, hardly breathing.

“It is a  _ really _ good look on you, darling,” said Mollymauk. He brushed his thumb over Caleb’s blushing cheek and then stepped back. “But alas, it’s late. Sleep well.” With a flourishing bow, the tiefling sidled away to his own room, only stopping to wink back at Caleb before he disappeared inside.

Caleb went numbly into his room. No, he wasn’t numb. But there was such a buzz of feeling all over him that he felt as if he might be going numb. Overwhelmed, and not entirely sure of what had just happened or why it was so different than any other time Mollymauk had flirted with him, he went to bed.

Caleb was certainly  _ not _ getting drunk again any time soon.

-   -

Molly noticed Caleb avoiding him the next day and said nothing of it. 

Of course he knew neither of them had been so drunk as to forget his flirting last night,  and Molly, personally, had no regrets. Watching Caleb squirm but never actually push him away or show any of his telltale signs of legitimate discomfort was something Molly delighted in, and it happened so rarely. 

He certainly hoped he hadn’t truly distressed the wizard. He was a bit strange to figure out, but Molly liked to think he had a decent grasp on Caleb’s mannerisms. 

They had spent a hot day traversing the woods outside of Zadash in search of a creature that was apparently killing all of the game meat - from deer to boar to rabbits -and found nothing except what might have been a recently abandoned lair of half-rotted meat and bones. They had decided to come back tomorrow, and Molly had convinced the party that a hot bath would be a perfect way to relax after a fruitless day of tramping through the woods.

It was late, and they were thankfully alone in the public bath. Molly didn’t bother to cover himself before slipping into the water, like every other time he had gone to the bathhouse. Among other strangers, he revelled in the looks he got, ranging from disturbed to curious to impressed. Among his friends, perhaps he was amused by the awkwardness it caused some (Caleb and Nott), the eye roll from others (Yasha), and the appreciation (usually from Jester, who had no qualms showing her opinions). 

He stretched at the edge of the bath, curling his tail around his legs and then stretching it out as well. “Ah, this is the perfect way to unwind after a day like today,” he announced. He stepped into the water and grinned at his companions. 

“It definitely wasn’t a bad idea,” said Fjord amicably. He was sitting against the side with his arms spread on either side of him, and looked as in need of the bath as Molly felt. He was slightly tense under the obvious dreamy stare of Jester, but at least she wasn’t plastered to his side like she had been last night. She was with Nott, who was holding onto her arm and trying not to look nervous at being in the water. To be fair, though it was only waist-deep on the rest of them, she couldn’t touch the bottom of the pool.

Molly stood and stretched his arms over his head then arched backward in a flexible - perhaps unnecessary - maneuver. He dipped his head in the water enough to wet his hair and then straightened, carefully running his hands through his hair to keep it from tangling in his horns and jewelry. He hummed happily and massaged away the dust of the forest.

When he was satisfied, Molly settled himself comfortably between Yasha and Caleb, blessedly close enough to feel that delicious tingle. Caleb was side-eyeing Molly a little nervously, but didn’t move. He was submerged to his neck in the water, and after the glance, tilted his head back against the edge of the bath, eyes half-closed. 

Molly sighed quietly as he relaxed against the side of the bath. Caleb hadn’t moved, so he was still just inches away, and the tiefling allowed the faint tingles of the arcane aura run up and down his side, revelling in the feeling. He watched Caleb semi-discreetly, not really caring if anyone noticed.

The wizard had raised out of the water a little more and was busy picking some leaves out of his hair from the forest before ducking back underwater. Molly was pleased that he had slowly started keeping himself cleaner in all aspects except his coat, which was beyond hope. It certainly suited him to be clean. Caleb was exceptionally attractive, with a pretty shade of red hair and striking blue eyes. Though still on the thinner side, he had filled out a bit since they had first met and looked much healthier as a whole. 

Caleb came back up for air and was facing Molly when he did. Molly didn’t move, and instead smiled languidly as Caleb smoothed his hair back from his face, then froze upon noticing the tiefling’s steady gaze. Molly’s smile turned into a grin, and he gave Caleb a clear up-and-down look before winking. 

Caleb took a deep breath and gave a hesitant, perplexed smile as he adjusted his position. He didn’t move away, though, and Molly took that as a subtle win.

-   -

Caleb was not stupid and not an inexperienced person by any means. However, he hadn’t experienced flirting or come-ons or  _ attraction _ in a very long time, and he was very out of his element right now.

But Mollymauk was unrelenting in such a subtle way that Caleb couldn’t really respond even if he wanted to. All he could do while the tiefling proudly sauntered around the bath and then stretched out in the pool was try  _ not _ to stare and hope that everyone else simply took it as his usual discomfort. 

He busied himself with brushing out his hair and was completely unprepared to come face to face with Mollymauk upon coming out of the water. The tiefling only grinned at him before his eyes flickered up and down Caleb’s chest, then winked. 

A little voice in his head quietly screamed  _ what is happening? _ Caleb forced himself to breathe, and gave a smile that said “you’re fucking weird,” before settling back down in the pool. 

He nearly leapt straight up out of the pool when something brushed along his forearm in the water. Yanking his arm up out of the water, he looked down cautiously. Mollymauk burst out laughing at the same time. 

“Sorry, sorry,” he said between chuckles. His head was still tilted back and he was grinning widely at Caleb. “Let my tail wander for a minute there.” He flicked his tail out of the water, splashing Caleb a little and waved at him with it. “Didn’t scare you too bad, did I?”

Caleb watched the tail curl a little before falling back into the water and didn’t remember to answer for a solid ten seconds before jerking his gaze up to Mollymauk’s. “Ah, no, of course not. It was just unexpected.” He was blushing again, he could feel it, and he cursed how easy it was for him to blush. “How, uh, how much control do you have over it?” he asked hesitantly.

“Oh, loads,” said Mollymauk. Once again, his tail came out of the water and traced a figure eight in the air before spiralling in on itself. “It’s prehensile. Very useful.” His grin became a little cocked at that, and Caleb spluttered a little before steadfastly turning away. He could hear Jester giggling at them and refused to look her way.

The rest of their time in the bath passed in quiet conversation, interrupted briefly by another short swimming lesson for Nott (she was, admittedly, getting a little better and a little less nervous with each visit to the bathhouse). After an hour or so, the group began preparing to go back to the Leaky Tap.

Caleb hoisted Nott out of the bath first before stepping out himself. He paused to watch Mollymauk walk towards the room with their gear in it. His tail was swaying lazily back and forth. Caleb was incredibly curious now, even more than he had been before (and he had been curious about the tieflings since they had met). What  _ could  _ a prehensile tail do?

Oh, gods, he needed other things to focus on. This was very inconvenient. Caleb shook his head and followed Mollymauk and Fjord into the dressing room, doing his best to dismiss his wayward thoughts.

-   -

The next night found the Mighty Nein sharing a table with drinks again and some more gold in their pocket. Tracking the beast from its lair had proven successful. It had been some amalgamation of perhaps a bear and a wolf, with an oddly tough hide. An easy enough foe once they had cornered it.

Molly was a little bored, feeling relaxed and pent up all at once. He had his eyes on Caleb. Instead of avoiding him today, Caleb had spent a lot of time watching Molly when he thought no one was looking. The advantage to solid-colored eyes was that someone had to be looking closely to know where they were directed. 

He was lounging on the bench with his back against a support post, mindlessly shuffling his tarot deck. He hadn’t had much to drink tonight, and wasn’t particularly interested. Fjord and Yasha were in the middle of a drinking contest and Nott was trying to keep up. Beauregard looked like she was pounding back shots to deal with obvious jealousy over Yasha’s attention towards Fjord, and Jester was sipping an ale looking vaguely in the same boat over Fjord’s attention to Yasha. It was all slightly awkward, and it left he and Caleb sitting together in the background, watching their companions get wasted.

“Do you think we’ll have to carry all of them upstairs later?” asked Caleb dryly. 

Molly snorted. “Nah, Yasha will win.” He motioned at Fjord. “He’s grinning too much. Already drunk. Yasha is just buzzed.  _ She _ can carry everyone upstairs instead.”

Caleb huffed out a short laugh. “ _ Ja _ , sounds fair.”

Molly continued shuffling the deck, folding the cards in and around each other seamlessly, then snapping them back together only to fan them out again. Caleb was watching curiously, so Molly continued to casually shuffle the deck in and around his fingers. 

Jester scooted over and joined Caleb in watching Molly. He grinned at her, then offered a flourishing bow without getting up, extending the fanned deck. Jester took a card happily, looking pleased to have something to do other than watch Fjord and Yasha. Molly shot a wink at Caleb as Jester peeked at the card and then showed it to him.

“Ah,” he said thoughtfully. “The Ace of Cups is a good one. Perhaps a new adventure awaits you tomorrow. With fresh feelings, perhaps a new love. It’s a positive sign.”

“Well, that would be very nice,” sad Jester matter-of-factly. She handed the card back and leaned back, glancing over at Fjord. Molly caught Caleb rolling his eyes and raised his eyebrows at the man.

“Don’t believe the cards?” he asked of him. 

“It’s a show you used for money,” said Caleb shortly. His steady gaze was nothing short of a challenge, and Molly scoffed and then stood up so that he faced Caleb across the table.

He began shuffling, flipping sections of the deck methodically in a repeating pattern, then spread his hands. A cascade of cards connected them for a few seconds as they waterfalled into his palm, and he resumed flipping them between his fingers again. His eyes never left Caleb, and Caleb’s eyes were fixated on the deck, slightly transfixed despite his skepticism. 

Molly created a few more bridges before he spread the deck in a fan and slid his arms together, creating a serpentine _ S _ with the cards. He grinned at Caleb, then flicked his tail. A card spun out of the deck and slid to a halt directly in front of Caleb. Molly brought the deck together with a quiet  _ snick _ , then bowed dramatically.

Jester clapped from her seat by Caleb while the wizard flipped over his card. “The Four of Swords,” said Molly thoughtfully. He put his hand to his chin in an exaggerated show of consideration. “This traditionally symbolizes avoidance, the refusal to face a situation.”

Caleb looked thoroughly unimpressed. “Oh,  _ ja _ , that’s very shocking,” he said flatly. 

Molly sauntered around the table and used his tail to drag the card back to him and into his deck, for show more than anything else. But he didn’t miss the way Caleb’s eyes followed the movement. So he kept it up, tracing figures into the table with the tip as he gave Caleb a confident grin.

“I don’t just hand out a real reading on corners and in bars,” he said. “You want a real reading? I can give you a real reading. Upstairs, and with a proper set up. Maybe you can prove that fateful card there wrong.”

He tilted his head just a bit and his grin sharpened into something more suggestive. He could see the flush spreading up Caleb’s cheeks and that alone was another success for the evening, if nothing else. 

But then Caleb stood up, facing him with less than a foot between them, and Molly’s posture faltered when that aura washed over him, sending shivers streaking up and down his spine. His tail lashed for a moment before wrapping securely around his ankle. 

“Fine,” said Caleb shortly. His face was carefully blank, but his eyes were bright, fiery, and his cheeks were red. 

Molly laughed and draped an arm around Caleb’s shoulders. He uncurled his tail from his ankle to wrap it loosely around Caleb’s leg just so that he could watch the man stumble. “Wonderful. Then, shall we?” 

And he guided Caleb up the stairs.

-   -

Caleb’s heart was pounding. He followed Mollymauk up the stairs, thinking.

“That card was unfair,” he said quietly. “You could have just asked me.”

Mollymauk glanced behind him with a questioning sound. Then his eyebrows shot up in realization. “Oh, that wasn’t a push,” he replied with a short chuckle. “I mean, sometimes I’ll do that for flare, but there are times when the cards make their own decisions.”

Caleb just uttered a short, “Oh,” and followed Mollymauk silently the rest of the way to his room, frowning.

The tiefling locked the door behind them. Caleb turned to face Mollymauk. He was half sure of what he was even doing, but the urge to prove Mollymauk wrong and to find out what this was and where this would go was overpowering his anxiety. He couldn’t deny his attraction to the strange man before him and couldn’t quite discern how much was pure curiosity and how much was a burning need. They mixed and intertwined in his fluttering gut and made him feel high. 

“Take off your boots and coat,” said Mollymauk. He was already shrugging out of his robe and setting it to the side carefully. 

Caleb slowly obeyed, watching Mollymauk suspiciously. “What does a real reading entail, exactly?”

“You’ll see,” was all he got in response, before being directed to sit on the bed and wait.

Caleb waited and watched Mollymauk go through his obviously well-practiced methods of preparation. He had carefully set his robe and the deck of cards to the side by the window, then removed his jerkin and sword belt as well, leaving just the light shirt and his trousers and boots. 

Mollymauk rolled his shoulders and stood for a moment just breathing, swaying. Then he pulled open the shutters and a flood of moonlight swept into the room, washing over Mollymauk and the floor around him. He closed his eyes and appeared to relax in the light. 

Caleb’s heart skipped a beat when the tiefling reached around himself and slid his shirt off with practiced ease and barely a jingle from the jewelry on his horns. The silver light played over his lavender skin beautifully, highlighting the curve of lean muscle. Mollymauk was… well, he was beautiful. His eyes were still closed, and his head was tilted back like a cat stretching out in sunlight.

Caleb let himself enjoy the sight. The tiefling was otherwise distracted, apparently, by setting the mood or something like that. Caleb remembered faintly that Mollymauk had admitted during his time under the  _ Zone of Truth _ that he worshipped the Moonweaver. Perhaps this was his way of feeling connected.

When finally Mollymauk moved, it was to stretch down so his head was almost touching his knee, then, to Caleb’s surprise, he straightened and brought the leg with him in a standing split. With one hand on the windowsill for stability, his tail came up to his ankle and tugged the boot loose, then he used his free hand to slide it off. Caleb wondered if this display was for his benefit, or if Mollymauk truly had to do this every day just to get out of his ridiculous boots. 

Mollymauk repeated the act with the other boot and then knelt down to set them by his pack. While he retrieved four white candles and some incense from his pack, Caleb was trying not to let his creative mind run away with what a tail and that much flexibility could do in the bed on which he sat.  _ Gods _ , he hadn’t felt like this in years, and it was a struggle to keep himself composed beyond the heat brushing his cheeks and neck, and the repeated grasp-and-release of the sheets at his sides.

Something about the moonlight and the gracefulness with which Mollymauk moved, combined with the subtle breeze, made Caleb feel like he was dreaming. Silver motes floated in the beams of light and danced around Mollymauk like the smallest fairies, and Caleb was hypnotised. 

Mollymauk took his robe and spread it across the floor in a calm and practiced manner. His deck was placed to the side and he settled down with his back to the window, bathed perfectly and breathtaking in the moonlight. On the robe he arranged the four candles, and Caleb registered with an odd clarity that they were placed one each in a cardinal direction, the eastward candle in front of him and mirroring the rising moon, though it was the northern candle he lit first.

Finally, Mollymauk spoke. He kept his eyes on the robe-covered floor in front of him. “Are you ready, Caleb Widogast?” he asked. He motioned with one hand to the floor on the other side of the cloth.

Caleb silently sat down across from Mollymauk, settling cross-legged with his hands in his lap. Mollymauk still didn’t look at him, but calmly lit the incense, which was closer to Caleb’s side, and then sat back. He shifted into a lotus style position and closed his eyes. Then he became completely still. Slowly, gracefully, he reached out and picked up the deck and held it in his hands, head tilted slightly back. The moon framed him perfectly, setting a silver glow to his outline and winking faintly off of his jewelry. His hands started moving slowly, shuffling the deck with simple, no-nonsense precision. His shoulders slackened a little, and he breathed deeply. 

Caleb didn’t know how much time passed, but he felt like he could watch Mollymauk like this all night and be content. The peace and sincerity that he was surrounded with was contagious, and Caleb felt himself relaxing as well, drinking in the view and enjoying the subtle play of light across the colorful robe and lavender tiefling before him. The scent of amber, jasmine, and lotus drifted around him from the incense, a stark difference from Mollymauk’s usual smell of nag champa.

And then, Mollymauk looked at Caleb for the first time since entering the room. Caleb’s heart stopped for a second. His eyes were fierce and intent on him. It was a look Caleb had never seen before. The smile was gone, but he still felt welcome in the dark room. Mollymauk looked focused, peaceful, and yet like something was aching to burst out of him and the only hint to the fire beneath was through his red eyes, bright and alive. 

Caleb was suddenly nervous. Mollymauk was someone who put on a show at all times, and he wasn’t used to the openness that was in those eyes now. He thought about what Mollymauk had said about giving him a  _ real _ reading, and was unnerved by just how real this was. 

But he was here, and he wasn’t backing out now. Real or not, and he would see this through. His skin still tingled with a mute excitement, and his core still fluttered and tensed with anticipation.

Mollymauk spoke. “What would you like to know, Caleb?”

Caleb was silent for a moment. He had forgotten that most tarot readings came with a question from the customer. He was pulling a blank except for exactly what was happening at this moment and what he felt, and so blurted out a stereotype that he hoped wouldn’t bite him in the ass over the next hour.

“What lies in store for my love life?”

He was half joking even as he said it, and he caught a small hint of a smile tug at Mollymauk’s lips, but the tiefling only nodded. He rocked back and closed his eyes again and focused. His lips moved soundlessly and he held the deck loosely in his hands. His tail flicked behind him and curled around as if on its own accord to drape over his wrist. 

Then the tail moved languidly to rest atop the deck. Mollymauk opened his eyes and watched the floor before him as his tail flicked in quick, precise movements. It seemed like slow motion as the first card landed perfectly between Caleb and the smoking incense. And then one, two, three, four, in a square between he and Mollymauk, a fifth on top of them, just barely touching the corners of each card of the square. To Caleb’s right, one, two, three cards were set, creating a triangle pointing to the center. Then one, two, three on the left as well, mirroring the right. 

Twelve cards in all, more than Caleb realized were ever drawn for a reading, though the card closest to him seemed slightly disconnected, and Mollymauk confirmed that odd intuition when his gaze flickered up to meet Caleb’s. 

“We start with the key card,” he said simply. “This will inform the rest of your reading.” His eyes were intent, serious, and genuine. Caleb only nodded mutely, and Mollymauk flipped the card deftly, barely touching it with his elegant hands.

It was facing Caleb, featuring a hand clutching a sword. Mollymauk didn’t make a display of thinking over the card, didn’t use any of the tricks he had witnessed him using on passersby or even their companions when passing time in a bar. He simply tilted his head at the it, then said, “You’re analytical and use that to your advantage in most situations. Your mind, your powers, your intellect have granted you success in many areas. Here, though, the card has been inverted, and that simply means that you will find success  _ not _ through your analysis or intellect, but by letting that go and letting instinct and intuition take the lead. Trust others and let your desire guide you forward.”

Caleb tried not to let the accurate reading affect him. What he had just been told could have been derived just as easily from what Mollymauk already knew of him. But his heart still thudded hard in his chest and the atmosphere was drawing him into the reading. He was curious. There were eleven main cards, and he wondered what Mollymauk might pull from them.

Mollymauk waited a few moments, seemingly for Caleb to absorb the meaning of the informing card, before he motioned over to the cards on Caleb’s right. “These cards speak of your past in regards to anything related to your question.”

Ah, yes. Caleb was familiar with the past, present, future frame that many tarot readings took. He wondered how this might be played off (he told himself that, though his breath hitched with a sudden panic of truths being possibly revealed).

Mollymauk flipped the card closest to Caleb in the triangle with the same barely-there flick of his wrist, revealing a man not unlike a high cleric facing him. “Your past influences what you seek today and beyond,” said Mollymauk. “Usually representative of a strict and sheltered life. Now you’re curious because of that. A desire for the unknown, but also that which would have been forbidden.”

Caleb wanted to roll his eyes, but respected Mollymauk enough not to do that. In non-prophetic words, he had pretty much just told Caleb what they both already knew: Caleb was reserved and sheltered, and he was intensely, obviously, curious about Mollymauk, who was pretty much the definition of several taboos to a lot of people. 

Mollymauk flipped the card in the triangle closest to the center spread. There was a man hanging from a branch by his foot. A halo of light wreathed his head, and he looked solemn, but not suffering. This card faced Mollymauk.

“Self-sacrifice,” said Mollymauk, promptly. He frowned. “A relationship from the past that ended in grief. This loss is hard on you, but it has to be viewed in the right light, so that you can grow from it and find new goals. Act at the right time, and you will see the fruits of your labor.”

Caleb swayed backwards slightly, feeling a little bit dizzy. It was easy enough to guess that he had had lovers in the past. It was rare to find a man his age who hadn’t. But there was a painful accuracy in the reading that made his gut clench and his heart skip a beat. He looked up to see Mollymauk watching him, still slightly detached and eyes bright with something beyond him. He looked down upon the last card in the triangle, and turned it slowly.

A snake stared up at him, facing the tiefling. Mollymauk didn’t pause for long before he slowly and methodically spoke its interpretation. “In other places, this signals something in wait that could poison your goals. In the past, it is something that has already happened. But it’s been inverted… so it tells you that by letting go, you will be free of that poison. It is not betrayal to do so.”

The moon was brighter, having risen higher now and casting the light over Mollymauk and across the robe. The candles flickered in odd harmony, with a haze of incense floating amongst the light. Caleb watched the smoke in silence, suddenly doubting the previous certainty that the reading was merely a show. For one thing, Mollymauk wouldn’t throw such deep interpretations at him if he was just trying to get into his pants. But also… Caleb found it hard to believe that even after two years of practice Mollymauk would have the skills to perceive quite so much about what Caleb had suffered.

He grimaced and met red eyes determinedly. Whatever was happening, it lay heavy on him, and he could feel his heartbeat as if it beat twice as hard, pushing him forward.

Mollymauk reached out to the center spread as he said, “The present; this card will inform what you feel beneath in spirit, mentality, emotions, and the physical,” and flipped the middle card atop the square.

He revealed a demon facing Caleb. The wizard almost snorted. He knew vague meanings of this card, being a common omen in Mollymauk’s cold reads, but its visage was, naturally, not unlike a tiefling.

Mollymauk shrugged fluidly. “A dark thing or person, feared as evil, with bad intentions, is not what the stories say they are.”

Simple, effective. Caleb was curious again, though his past’s reading was still hanging in the back of his head.

Mollymauk picked up on the slight uplift, a smile tugging at his lips. He looked confident, also curious. Caleb watched his tail curl around his wrist as he reached out and flicked the first card in the square face up. It showed a woman holding a sword and scales, facing Caleb.

“Justice,” said Mollymauk. “You have lost faith in much of the world and its gods. You are bitter, but that bitterness has blinded you to those who seek to treat you fairly.”

Well. That was actually completely fair. Caleb smiled grimly. He had made that pretty clear to his companions, and it wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before. Then he thought about it in regards to the first card that was supposed to “inform” the rest of these present cards, and eyed Mollymauk suspiciously. Mollymauk either didn’t notice or ignored him. He was already busy flipping the next card.

A man struggling to hold a bundle of rods upright faced Mollymauk. The tiefling nodded, apparently unsurprised, and named the card the Ten of Wands. “It is a traditional representation of overburden,” he gave Caleb a pointed look. “But with regards to you, these burdens that you carry - more than you need, my friend - must be let go, even if it’s just for a moment, if you are going to enjoy that moment.” This was followed by a small, inviting smile, and Caleb felt a warmth pool in his gut that he simultaneously revelled in and was unnerved by.

The next card showed a graceful woman clothed in gray and surrounded by books. “The Knowing Mistress shows a burning desire for knowledge and an intense curiosity, two great strengths of yours. Use that to your advantage, let it guide you into the unknown to ask what you wish to know and learn, always learn.”

That was pretty much everything Caleb was underneath his anxiety and trauma. But the way Mollymauk said it, looking directly at Caleb, and the way he emphasized  _ burning desire _ , had that warmth growing stronger, and an odd tenseness fell over him. He was drawn forward, anticipating the next cards, wanting them, and wanting the man reading them to him.

The incense still burned, a thick and pleasant scent, and smoke played in the moonlight. Red eyes watched him steadily.

The last card of the present, which Caleb remembered would represent the physical, revealed an angel pouring a liquid from one cup to another. It faced Caleb. “Temperance,” chuckled Mollymauk. “And it faces you, inverted. It’s normally a symbol of balance, patience, and moderation. But today, you don’t have to worry about that. Indulge in a little… hedonism, and don’t let your self-denial overwhelm you. You  can enjoy yourself without guilt.” 

The eyes seemed even more intent on him and Caleb swallowed instinctively. His mouth was suddenly dry. He was leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees, and he wanted to move closer. That lightheaded feeling he had at the start of the reading was back and he felt as if he might just float away and into the moonlight to become one of those little motes still swirling around the tiefling across from him. 

He nodded stiffly, a sign to move on, and Mollymauk looked down at the remaining three cards. In the same order as the other side, he flipped the card closest to Caleb.

“The eight of wands is for swiftness and an immediate reward. What you desire can be granted quickly, positively, and eagerly. It’s a good sign for the future, though it tells nothing beyond the immediate.”

A little  _ zing _ shot through Caleb when he made eye contact with Mollymauk again. His eyes were brighter, burning, the silver fire clear now behind them. It seemed as if only his loyalty to his practice was keeping him from closing that distance between them. Caleb almost wanted him to. But there were two cards left. They both wanted to see what awaited him.

The second card showed a man shrouded and masked, inverted. Mollymauk peered at it for a moment and hummed. “The masked man indicates that someone is not showing their true self, but its inversion is a warning about your own masks. Your own privacy is yours to keep, but dishonesty can and will cost you dearly. Be careful to discern the two.”

Caleb flinched a little. He tried not to lie to anyone in the Mighty Nein. But he was shuttered, and sometimes felt cornered to the point where a small lie or omission might save him. He mentally filed the card away to remember, hardly aware at this point that he had stopped judging the cards, listening to them intently.

The Six of Pentacles was flipped last, a word of advice moving forward. “Success hinges on how willing you are to be bold and take risks. Be generous. What you seek will come to you eagerly if you just take that leap.”

Caleb rocked backwards and Mollymauk focused on him. A small smile played around his lips. “In summary, what lies in store for your love life, Caleb Widogast, is a reward for honesty, a little bit of openness, risk, and letting your instinct guide you. And who knows what tomorrow might bring?” 

One by one, in reverse to the order in which he had laid them out, he picked up the cards and placed them carefully back into his deck. He closed the cards back into their case, murmuring a quiet prayer that Caleb couldn’t make out.

Mollymauk rolled his shoulders and stood up and stretched his arms over his head in one sensual movement. He snuffed out the incense and then the candles, also in reverse to the order they were lit, and put them all back into his pack with a carefulness one would attribute to glass. And again, he was soft and graceful when he picked up his robe. He folded it neatly and set it on the table that stood near the window. With everything put away, he let out a deep breath and finally turned to Caleb. The silver light had gone from his eyes, but they still seemed to burn.

He cast a cocked grin at the wizard. “Perhaps now you might believe me.” He stepped forward to where Caleb still sat, having watched the cleanup in mild fascination, and held out his hand. 

Caleb grasped his forearm and hauled himself to his feet. He wobbled a little bit as tingles and pinpricks washed down his legs from sitting in one position for so long, but kept himself fixed on Mollymauk. He didn’t let go of his arm immediately. He cleared his throat nervously, then had to look away.

“I had not known you took it so seriously,” he said. “That was… an experience.”

Mollymauk chuckled. “It was. And I think you and I both learned a thing or two, don’t you?” His fingers traced up and down Caleb’s arm, eliciting a shiver. Mollymauk’s eyes hooded, and he asked in a deep murmur, “What do you think you learned, Caleb?”

He knew this was his escape. Mollymauk was letting him go if he wanted. The reading was over, and Caleb had learned his lesson. But that had never been the only intent for either of them when they went upstairs together. All Caleb had to do was listen to the cards, and listen to his gut, his heart, and that heavy, heavy longing. 

He pulled suddenly on Mollymauk’s arm, pressed up against the tiefling, and kissed him.

Something that had been locked away from the light of the world broke free at that moment. Caleb was immediately drowning and flying at the same time, and a feeling like fire burned from his gut to his mouth as he pushed against Mollymauk.

Mollymauk gripped Caleb’s forearm where it had still been loosely clasped, opening himself eagerly to the kiss, inviting and humming. Caleb was at first surprised by how  _ hot _ he was. It was like kissing flame, and for once he loved it, loved the sensation even as a tiny, analytical part of his mind reminded him that it was simply that Mollymauk was a tiefling and that by nature they were heated beings.

He let himself enjoy the heat, bringing his free hand up to the nape of Mollymauk’s neck. He tilted his head, opened his mouth wider, and gasped quietly when Mollymauk’s hand pressed into the small of his back and pulled him even closer. He twitched at the first little nip at his lips, sharper than he anticipated thanks to Molly’s fangs, but found himself biting back, then licking at the other man’s lips and sighing into his mouth.

Caleb slid his hands into Mollymauk’s hair and grasped at the curls at the back of his head while Mollymauk trailed kisses down his jawline to the hollow behind his ears. There was a practiced gracefulness in the tilt of Mollymauk’s head, keeping his horns carefully away. Through the haze and heat of the moment, Caleb trailed one of his hands to Mollymauk’s horn and up the spiral.

Mollymauk broke away from his neck and flashed an amused and slightly perplexed grin at Caleb. “Curious, ‘ey?” he asked. He shrugged and leaned back in, kissing down the other side of Caleb’s jaw, making him breathe in sharply. “I  _ can _ feel it, and it feels good. Just avoid the base, if you could? Feels a bit weird there. Like a human’s funny bone, so I’ve been told.”

Caleb snorted, but was soon distracted again by Mollymauk’s mouth sucking gently on his earlobe.

He enjoyed the attention for some time, the heat within him and around him growing as Mollymauk found each one of the sensitive spots on his neck and jaw. He pushed impossibly closer, pulled Mollymauk’s head back up, and kissed him fervently, hands running aimlessly down his back, up his chest, cupping his face, just drinking in the sensations, bathing in them, loving them.

He wanted to feel more, be closer, be surrounded and engulfed by the heat he could just barely feel through his clothes.

Mollymauk had a similar line of thought, apparently, because he broke the kiss with a gasp and grinned down at Caleb as he released his arm and started unbuckling the belt that held Caleb’s doublet closed. “It would have been so much easier if you had taken this off before the reading,” he said lightly.

Caleb huffed a laugh and stepped back just enough to help Mollymauk undo the clasps and let the doublet fall to the floor. “You only asked me to take off my coat and boots,” he responded matter-of-factly.

Mollymauk stopped for a second and gave Caleb a look. “You mean to tell me that getting you half-naked would have been as easy as asking under the pretense that it was for the reading?”

Caleb shrugged. “Perhaps. But you didn’t ask.” He smiled at Mollymauk’s brief look of surprise and pulled his shirt over his head. “But I’m half-naked now, so does it matter?”

It didn’t seem to, by the way Mollymauk was looking at him. Caleb never thought much of himself, although he was aware he was not an unattractive man. But he felt like he might be a demigod with the way Mollymauk’s eyes dragged over him from head to toe. He stepped closer, then pushed gently so that Caleb was backing up towards the bed. Caleb sat when he felt the backs of his knees touch the bed, and Mollymauk leaned over him.

He kissed him, and Caleb arched up into the touch, reaching both hands up to frame his jaw. He could feel the faint ridges of countless scars that started as high up as the jawline, but chose to trace his thumbs along Mollymauk’s cheekbones instead, tilting his head further into the kiss.

-   -

Molly tasted ambrosia and felt as if he had scattered into a thousand stars. Caleb was cool to the touch, refreshing, awash with the flowing, pulsing life of his magic. He was enchanted and overwhelmed at once and wanted so much more.

Caleb was pushing into his touch, pulling Molly down, and he obeyed instantly. He followed him backwards until they were both on the bed and Molly knelt above him. Caleb was silent except for his slightly labored breathing, mouth open  _ just _ enough to be enticing, cool blue eyes watching him steadily.

Molly drank in the sight and feeling of being here. He leaned down and ran a hand through Caleb’s hair, marveling at how he could so easily brush it out of his face with no horns to obstruct his motion. Caleb sighed into the touch, his eyes closing as Molly cupped his face and bent to kiss him again. He couldn’t get over how refreshing his cooler skin was, how his tongue and lips jolted and seemed to send streaks of fire and ice down his spine as he bit lightly at Caleb’s lips and trailed kisses from his mouth to his jaw.

Molly wasn’t surprised that Caleb was so quiet. He gasped gently and murmured unintelligibly, but was otherwise silent except for hitched breaths. Molly wasn’t so subtle in his interests. He hummed happily into Caleb’s skin when the human’s hand tangled into his hair, and let out a breathy  _ ah _ when the other hand found the small of his back at the base of his tail. He arched forward, encouraged by the hand at his back.

The first real words Caleb spoke since removing his doublet came through a shocked expulsion of breath when Mollymauk twined his tail around Caleb’s arm, making light strokes up the forearm. Whatever it was, it wasn’t in Common, but there was a delicious mixture of surprise and  _ want _ in the tone, and Mollymauk paused long enough to tilt his head at Caleb.

“All this time I thought you were staring at my ass,” he mused, “and you were watching my tail instead, weren’t you?”

Caleb blushed through already flushed skin and averted his eyes. “There’s - there’s nothing wrong with your ass,” he stammered. “You have a very nice ass. It’s just, the tail, it is not something I have had the… pleasure of experiencing before.”

Molly unwrapped his tail from around Caleb’s wrist and instead used the flattened tip to nudge Caleb’s face back towards him. He leaned down until his horns were barely touching the other man’s smooth forehead, then stroked his tail down the side of Caleb’s neck and grinned. “There’s nothing wrong with that.” Then he kissed him quickly, deeply, biting and sucking and garnering as much response as he could before he broke away suddenly. “We’re both experiencing something a little unique tonight.”

It was Caleb’s turn to tilt his head. “What would I have that you have not had the chance to experience?”

Molly sat up and stretched, shifting into a graceful shrug. “I have a slight sense of the arcane thanks to my abilities,” he said simply. He gave Caleb a sweeping up and down, enjoying the view he had. “It offers a unique sensitivity during certain activities, to say the least.”

“Oh,” Caleb raised his eyebrows. He reached out and ran his hands down Molly’s sides, eliciting a shudder and roll of his hips. Molly moaned softly and deeply as sparks seemed to dance up his sides and back down his spine.

Caleb looked suddenly thoughtful. “You know,” he said, “If I focus just a little bit,” and he gently placed a hand where Molly’s tail still rested against his neck, “I can channel it very specifically.”

The light, tingling sensation running up and down Molly’s spine suddenly disappeared, as if rerouted, and Molly nearly fell backward when the sensation returned, except nowall of it had concentrated to the tip of his tail and then  _ rushed _ into him and across his back and through his belly and this time the sparks were real as he gasped and arched his back, his tail wrenched from Caleb’s grip and twitching.

Oh, that… that was  _ wonderful. _

He felt Caleb’s hands fluttering uncertainly at his hips and opened his eyes. Caleb looked concerned and asked nervously, “Was that alright? I thought you might like that, but you reacted so strongly, and-”

Molly cut him off with a finger to his lips. “That was one of the most delightful feelings I have ever experienced.”

Caleb’s lips parted around his finger in an  _ oh, _ and he offered a small smile. “Good.” He sat up, one hand sliding from Molly’s hip to his back, and began peppering kisses to the underside of his jaw. Molly hummed in response, pressing closer in any way possible.

-   -

Caleb traced the line of a peacock feather with his tongue, feeling the slightest raise of skin along the line of the tattoo. Mollymauk was moving sensually against him, one hand tangled in his hair, the other grasping his shoulder. His tail was tracing aimless designs into Caleb’s back that made him shiver and gasp into the tiefling’s collarbone.

He pressed a decisive kiss to the dip above his collarbone, layered with magic that made Mollymauk groan loudly and noticeably shudder against him. Caleb enjoyed the powerful feeling that granted him, and let the magic flow around him naturally again as he ran his hand up and down Mollymauk’s back, the muscles beneath the lavender skin tensing and pulling in time with his rhythmic movements.

He was growing hotter and hotter, especially with the too-hot tiefling straddling him, and his legs itched where sweat prickled beneath his pants. He didn’t want to demand they stop to further undress, but he passively ran his hands down Mollymauk’s back as he kissed up his neck to his lips, his fingers finding the laces at the back of Molly’s pants.

Mollymauk broke the kiss to grin cockily down at Caleb. “Is there something you want?” he asked teasingly.

Caleb snorted and cast his eyes down in a pointed look to where it seemed like even the soft, stretchy leather of the tight-fitting trousers had to be growing uncomfortable. “I would have assumed it’s something you want.”

Mollymauk laughed heartily and unashamed. He slid off of Caleb like water and stood to finish undoing the laces at his back.

The candle by the door had burned low and cast little to no light in the room, and the moon had passed higher into the sky and cast only a sliver of light into the room now. Caleb’s eyes had adjusted to the dark, but truly, this required some good lighting. And didn’t Mollymauk say that he  _ really _ liked Caleb’s magic?

He sat up so he was facing the tiefling, keeping still, and focused. He wasn’t used to casting without his components, but  _ dancing lights  _ was so familiar to him that he hardly needed the wychwood anymore.

With soft  _ whoomph _ s, four orbs of a faint, soft silver came to life, one after the other, gliding gracefully around Mollymauk.

His hands had been at the waistband of his pants, gapping a bit from his skin since they had been unlaced but still held up by the snug fit, but now the fingers faltered and his head fell back with a sigh. The lights, brushing against his skin at random intervals in their orbit, had the same effect as his general aura did, if the soft sigh and shiver had anything to show for it. As Caleb directed an orb up his side, Mollymauk stretched his arms overhead, and the orb continued a path up the underside of his arm, then circled down his spine.

Caleb continued orbiting the lights, marveling at how Mollymauk’s skin lit up against the silver, an imitation of the moonlight he had been illuminated in before, while he stood and approached him. He reached out and traced his fingers along the curve of one spiraling horn, tracing the jewelry.

“ _ Du bist sch _ _ö_ _ n _ ,” he muttered quietly to himself, as his hands trailed down Mollymauk’s chest and settled at the waistband of his pants.

Mollymauk’s breathing was coming hard, hitching whenever an orb passed close to him. Caleb brought two of them to hover just above his hands, following his movements as he slid Molly’s pants down, kneeling as he went.

-   -

Molly never would have expected someone like Caleb to fall under the category of  _ tease _ , but as the man stroked his hands back up his thighs, passing  _ so close  _ but not close enough to his erection, he was becoming more and more sure that Caleb was absolutely a tease. The lights continued their dance around him, sending shocks and shivers through him at his neck, his back, his thighs, and Caleb was staring at every inch of Molly.

When he finally stood, Molly was quick to pull Caleb into a breathless kiss and bring the length of his body against him. He nipped at his lips and tangled his hands in his hair, revelling in the cool press of Caleb’s chest against his. Caleb pressed at the small of his back, gasping into Molly’s mouth.

Backing up just slightly, Molly growled softly, “These need to go,” and slid his hands down Caleb’s chest to the buttons of his pants. Caleb apparently agreed wholeheartedly, and pushed them down over his hips as soon as the buttons were undone.

He stepped forward, just looking at Molly, and raised a hand almost tentatively to his jawline to cup his face. He leaned forward, pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw, and then slowly,  _ achingly _ slowly, kissed down Mollymauk’s neck to his shoulder as he brought his body flush against him again.

Molly took in a shuddering breath, hips stuttering forward of their own accord, and reached around to Caleb’s back to keep him right there, even as the other man groaned into his neck and pressed ever closer. He didn’t know anything could ever feel this good, and he had felt a lot in his two years of memory. The anticipation of how much better this could get…

He arched his back dramatically, then let himself slide slowly to his knees before Caleb, whose breathing held for a brief second when Molly stopped, kneeling now comfortably and relaxed, staring up at him and smirking.

-   -

Caleb was possibly going to die here in this room right now with Mollymauk watching him like that, _knowing_ what that look and what kneeling there did to him.

But truthfully, he hadn’t felt this alive in years, and he let that thought drive him, unashamedly running his hand through Mollymauk’s hair between his horns and giving him a firm, sure nod. Mollymauk took this as the sign that it was, leaning forward.

He started by just pressing his lips to the very tip of Caleb’s cock in a teasing kiss that had Caleb shuddering and swearing under his breath in impatient Zemnian. His hands fluttered around Mollymauk’s horns and hair, grasping and flexing sporadically. Mollymauk continued his feather-light kisses, his tongue darting out for that extra little  _ zing  _ of sensation.

Finally (it felt like hours later to Caleb, though he wasn’t keeping track of time at this exact moment), Mollymauk took him in his mouth, moving slowly, like he had all the time in the world. Caleb’s head fell back with a breathless moan. Heat surrounded him as the pleasure arched up his spine. Mollymauk’s hands slid up his thighs to grip below his hips as he took more of Caleb into his mouth, running his tongue up the underside of his length, and Caleb gasped and gripped Mollymauk’s horns, trying not to pull too hard.

Mollymauk hardly paid his hand any mind, though, trailing one hand down to grip the base of his cock and begin a slow, torturous rhythm. The other hand pulled gently, encouraging Caleb’s shuddering hips to fall into the rhythm, as curses and praises alike fell from his mouth (all in Zemnian, he would later recall, because second languages were hard).

Mollymauk paced himself slowly, keeping Caleb deliciously satisfied and yet needing  _ more _ every minute the tiefling spent on his knees. He felt like he could simultaneously collapse in a quivering mess and stay here forever.

But his legs had other plans, because the mounting tension in his thighs had begun to send warnings that they were beginning to cramp. He hissed quietly between his teeth, tugging at Mollymauk’s hair. “Ich - I, I am sorry,” he stammered, taking twice as long as normal as he searched for the words in Common. “My legs- I am not,  _ ah _ , strong.”

Mollymauk uttered a light laugh that sent shivers up Caleb’s spine, then sat back. He stood up in one graceful moment, motioning with the other hand towards the bed behind Caleb. “Nothing wrong with that,” he said lightly, peppering a kiss on Caleb’s cheek. “And we don’t want you getting hurt, now.”

Caleb flushed with some embarrassment but allowed Mollymauk to lead him to the bed. He sat down, breathing heavily, pushing himself back so he could stretch out on the bed. Mollymauk crawled over him, then just stopped, looking at him for a long moment. Caleb squirmed a little, tracing light, hesitant lines up the scarred, tattooed back and down to the base of his tail.

Mollymauk traced a finger down Caleb’s chest, tilting his head. He looked like he was studying every inch of him, memorizing him, breathing him in in. He followed his finger with feather-light kisses and licks, and Caleb sighed into the touch.

“You have beautiful skin,” murmured Mollymauk into the dip between Caleb’s hip and groin. “It’s smooth and pale, and yet-” he kissed a freckle, one of many, “so many of these.” He seemed inclined to find them all.

Caleb closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the attention. Mollymauk’s trail continued, down his legs, then all the way back up to his neck. Caleb was a little enamored with this oddly gentle side of Mollymauk, showing such utter devotion for his skin and body, taking the time to examine what felt like every inch of him. And yet still he made sounds and shivers of pleasure, occasionally brushing himself against Caleb, still clearly feeling the effects of the arcane aura.

He was vaguely aware of quite a long time passing in some far away corner of his mind that always had that odd sense for time, but paid it no mind, tensing and relaxing and tensing again to the touch and caress of Mollymauk, the occasionally teasing brush or kiss against his erection, keeping his attention solely on him.

Caleb’s hands wandered and explored, taking in as much of the beautiful man above as he could. He examined and traced each ridge of his horns, noted where Mollymauk seemed to hum into the touch, carefully avoiding the base where horn melded with skin. He pressed into the small hollow above the tail and along the muscular length of it, shivering at the small gasps it elicited, then gasping himself when Mollymauk’s tail would respond by wrapping sensually around his arm and then uncurl and continue sliding languidly up and down Caleb’s body.

-   -

Molly breathed into Caleb’s neck, taking a moment to just enjoy the contact and the constant tingle and shock of the arcane aura spreading across his body. He felt Caleb shift beneath him, a long stretch of his spine and roll of his hips. The shiver of magic traveled with the undulations and he groaned softly.

He sat up, straddling Caleb’s hips, and took him in his hand, watching with bright eyes as he rolled his head back and thrust into the touch, gasping. What a gorgeous expression. Molly leaned forward and captured Caleb’s lips with his own, letting go and running his hand back up the stomach and chest, nails tickling teasingly. He licked hungrily at the coolness of Caleb’s mouth and grinned into it when Caleb bit back softly, gripping his hips and pulling down hungrily.

“Tell me what you want,” said Molly onto his lips. He traced a hand from Caleb’s neck down his chest, stopping just short of his hips. Caleb broke the kiss to watch the path of his hand in open desire, then closed his eyes with an unsteady breath. His head tilted back like he was asking the heavens for guidance.

Then his eyes opened and he stared steadily at Molly. “I want to fuck you,” he said carefully; his accent had thickened almost into broken Common.

Molly felt himself twitch at those words, and groaned aloud. “That’s music to my ears, love,” he said. Then he pushed off of Caleb and stood up. “Stay there. I have a couple ideas.”

Molly reached into his pack while Caleb stretched out on the bed, which was a delightful sight on its own, and rummaged through the bag for a moment before he found his small flask of oil. Most days, he used it to massage sore muscles after a fight, but sometimes it had other handy uses, like tonight’s endeavors.

He tossed the flask on the bed by Caleb’s head, then crawled up onto the bed and straddled him again. Caleb’s hands immediately went to Molly’s hips of their own accord. Molly placed a hand on one side of his face and leaned down until his lips were brushing Caleb’s. He resisted the urge to grind down, feeling the other man beneath him, hard and ready, and murmured, “Do you like this? Or would you like me on my back? Or maybe, you want to take me from behind? Or something else?” His other hand snaked down between them, and Caleb swore, arching into the touch.

Molly grinned into the light kisses he peppered Caleb with, not stopping his strokes. “Sorry, love, but you have to speak common if I’m to know what you want,” he said teasingly.

Caleb bit at his lips, pulling him into a deeper kiss, before gasping out, “This- is fine-  _ ah, bitte _ .”

Molly sat up, letting go of Caleb - to a breathless protest - and picked up the oil. He offered it to Caleb, who took it gingerly and glanced back up at Molly. He looked wrecked, and Molly loved it. He shifted his hips down a little, just to watch him gasp again, then traced his tail over his lips with a  _ shh. _ “Please, Caleb,” he said, leaning down again to nip at his jaw and lips. “Fuck me.”

-    -

Caleb was confident he’d found heaven - whatever heaven may be - in this room, as he uncorked the oil without really thinking about it. Mollymauk was watching him through hooded eyes, shifting methodically and sending jolts of pleasure up Caleb’s spine. He wanted so much more than that. He poured a small pool of oil into the palm of his hand and slicked his fingers with it.

Mollymauk lifted up onto his knees silently, sitting up and stretching his arms over his head languidly, like he was just waking up from a nap. Gods, but he was gorgeous. In the barely moonlit dark - the  _ dancing lights  _ spell long gone - his skin was just a faint lighter shape against darker shadows, but Caleb could still see the graceful lines of lean muscle and the glint of red eyes watching him, matching the occasional sparkle of jewelry if he turned his head to the moonlight in just the right manner.

Caleb laid a hand lightly on Mollymauk’s thigh, and his other hand found its goal, shaking a little. He was out of practice. But he let muscle memory lead him, thinking about the tiefling breathing heavy above him, and how good those moans and gasps had been before. He wanted to hear more. He wanted to hear his name gasped between thrusts. He wanted to be all that Mollymauk thought about for days to come.

Like their first kiss, Caleb was once again surprised by how  _ hot  _ Mollymauk was. It was wonderful, and so was the open-mouthed inhale from Molly. His hand fell on top of Caleb’s at his thigh and gripped hard, and his tail curled and uncurled before pooling on the bed behind him to keep him steady. He was clenching reflexively around Caleb’s finger, but also muttering, “More, Gods, more,” and so Caleb added a second finger, carefully, suddenly worried and praying he didn’t hurt him.

Mollymauk sensed his hesitation and squeezed his hand. “I’m not glass, love,” he said through heavy breaths. “I’ll tell you if I don’t like something. And so far, this is perfect.”

Caleb only nodded, breathing hard himself, and picked up a rhythm with his fingers that had Mollymauk rocking in time with him, little gasps and  _ ah’ _ s escaping him. He let the heat drive him forward, a third finger now, positively aching for that feeling around his cock.

Finally, blessedly, when Mollymauk opened his eyes fully and gave Caleb a look that could have promised murder if he didn’t properly fuck him  _ now, _ he removed his hand, dragging it along the sheets and grasping for the oil again. But Mollymauk beat him to it, popping the cork again and slathering his own hand, grinning wickedly.

Caleb almost stopped breathing when the oiled hand wrapped around him, dropping his head back with a groan.

His entire body tensed when Mollymauk guided him to his ass, and then he might have blacked out for all it mattered as the tiefling lowered slowly and sensually onto him. Fire spread from his core through his body, and he loved it, revelled in the contrast, and wanted more,  _ Gods, please, more. _

-    -

Molly moaned deliciously and shook as he settled all the way down atop Caleb. He had wondered for so long what that tingling aura might feel like inside him, pulsing through him, but he hadn’t expected anything as mind-shattering as this. As he watched Caleb arch into the contact mindlessly, stars burst inside his eyes and he worried briefly that he wouldn’t last another minute like this. But he steeled himself and waited for his body to adjust, enjoying the tight fullness and the shocks up his spine.

Then he started to roll his hips, watching his partner the entire time.

Caleb had grasped the sheets and was pushing up into Molly in tandem, and his eyes were closed, gasping between groans and murmurs in Zemnian. He stuttered in his rhythm when Molly’s tail wrapped around his wrist, and Molly brought his hand up to his lips, where he peppered kisses from his palm down the underside of his wrist around his tail. Then he lowered Caleb’s hand to his hip and gave the man a pointed look.

Caleb got the message and gripped his hip tightly, pulling Mollymauk down harder, faster, and Mollymauk moaned softly, dropping his head back.  _ Yes,  _ that was it, that was perfect.

And then Caleb’s other hand wrapped around his aching cock and began pumping in time with his thrusts, and Molly called out, shivering as more  _ zings _ of magic curled in his core. He was close, and Gods he hoped Caleb was too. He wanted to feel him coming, see that beautiful face light up with that beautiful sensation.

Caleb opened his eyes and looked up at Molly, who was at this moment not grinning, not feeling arrogant or sure, just riding the moment, surrounded and filled. Caleb squeezed Molly’s hip and said something deep and sensual in Zemnian.

That and the sudden pull of the aura away from all places of contact with him were the only warnings Mollymauk had before he was suddenly shot through with a dazzling burst of light and energy. He came suddenly and hard, shouting as sparks blossomed to the tips of his fingers and toes, and he collapsed forward in a barely-controlled sprawl across Caleb’s chest.

He was vaguely aware of Caleb coming at the same time and briefly grieved missing that moment, but he was too busy shuddering through the aftershocks of the pulse of Caleb’s magic to be truly concerned, and thought vaguely that he could pay more attention next time.

Hmm… Next time?

He lifted his head up to place a kiss on Caleb’s chest. The other man was stroking gently up and down his back, from the base of his tail to his neck, seemingly content to lay here for a moment. They were both out of breath, and Molly continued to lazily press kisses into Caleb’s chest and collarbones, slowly trailing upward until they were face to face.

Caleb was watching him steadily, the slightest of smiles on his lips. Molly smiled back, wider, and said lightly, “Well that was something.”

Caleb huffed a laugh. “ _ Ja, _ that…it was good.”

Molly slid off of Caleb with a slight wince and stretched out on his side, tail tracing aimless patterns across his chest and belly. He reached out to his pack which was just off the bed and retrieved a handkerchief. Gently and lazily, he cleaned himself and Caleb up as best he could, murmuring sleepily that they would have to visit the bathhouse tomorrow and probably get the sheets changed so Fjord wouldn’t throw a fit.

Caleb laughed into his neck where he had turned, also fading into tiredness. Molly breathed deeply and smiled. As Caleb’s breathing evened out, falling asleep swiftly and deeply, his heart softened a little, and he fell asleep feeling secure and happy for the first time that he could remember.


	2. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had an urge and was encouraged to write a morning-after scene for this, because party dynamics are hilarious and good and it was a lot of fun to write. So here you go! I hope you enjoy.

Fjord woke up with a dry mouth and a pounding headache. He groaned and shoved his face further into the pillow. Why had he agreed to a drinking contest with Yasha? He _knew_ she could hold her liquor, and yet for _some_ reason it still seemed like a good idea at the time. Well, didn’t it always?

He rolled onto his back and thanked whatever gods were out there that the window was shuttered.

“Are you finally awake?”

Fjord nearly fell off the bed. He scrambled upright and came face to face with Nott, who was sitting cross-legged at the end of the bed.

“What in -” Fjord exclaimed, looking around him with squinting eyes. Last night was coming to him slowly. He had been locked out of his own room, and informed by a suggestively grinning Jester that Mollymauk was giving Caleb a private tarot reading, “ _If you know what I mean,”_ while she nudged him with her elbow. So Nott had been taken to sleep in the girls’ room and Fjord, too drunk and tired to wait for what he was sure was just a tarot reading (no matter how many times Jester winked at him), passed out in Nott and Caleb’s room instead.

Fjord rubbed his eyes and then focused on Nott. “What time is it?”

She shrugged. “Past sunrise. I was looking for Caleb, but you were here instead.” She squinted at him, looking suspicious. “Is he still in your room with Mollymauk?”

Fjord had absolutely no idea, but would guess yes, considering Caleb had apparently never come back to this room. Which… he kind of understood, given that he had sprawled across the bed in his drunken stupor. He wouldn’t want to share a room with a trashed half-orc either.

He informed Nott of his thoughts while he climbed out of the bed and attempted to straighten his clothes into something relatively presentable. If Caleb wasn’t around, that meant that he should probably stay out his own room for a while longer; he could get breakfast while he waited.

Nott was frowning thoughtfully, but followed Fjord out of her room all the same, casting a concerned look down the hall at the still-closed door to Fjord and Mollymauk’s room.

“Come on,” said Fjord amiably. “Let’s get some breakfast. Are the other ladies downstairs?”

“Oh, yeah,” said Nott, trailing behind him. “We woke up a while ago.”

Jester, Beauregard, and Yasha were indeed downstairs, talking idly while finishing up breakfast. Nott hopped up onto the seat next to Jester and snagged a piece of bacon while Fjord sat down next to Yasha.

“ _So,_ ” said Jester, drawing out the word dramatically. “Did Caleb ever go back to his room?”

Fjord rolled his eyes and waved the barkeep over to order his breakfast. “No, Jester. He did not.”

She giggled triumphantly. “I knew it! He spent the night with _Molly_.”

“But Fjord was taking up the entire bed anyway,” piped up Nott. “Maybe Caleb just didn’t want to disturb him.” She glanced between Fjord and Yasha. “You were very drunk.”

“Don’t remind me,” groaned Fjord. He got a cup of water and an order for eggs and bacon in before turning back to Jester, rubbing his temples. “Stop getting ahead of yourself, Jester. Molly and I have shared a room since we started traveling together and that never meant anything. Nott is right; Caleb probably just wanted to leave me be, and I honestly appreciate that.”

Jester snorted in disbelief. “Oh, sure, Fjord. But you never watched Molly like you were just waiting for an opportune to moment to pounce and get your mouth-”

“ _Okay, okay,_ ” Fjord interrupted, putting a hand up. “You don’t have to go into detail.” He sighed, taking a deep drink from his cup. “Just. Don’t get your hopes up. It just doesn’t seem like Caleb, that’s all.”

Jester shrugged in that way that completely dismissed Fjord’s argument, but also indicated she wasn’t going to push it anymore, and went back to finishing her breakfast. Fjord sighed and took another drink of water, thinking that his breakfast couldn’t come soon enough. His head was pounding and he felt mildly nauseous, but he knew a good meal would still fix things up quickly enough.

-    -

Caleb woke up slowly, feeling relaxed, warm, and sore. He rolled onto his back, just breathing softly and basking in the warmth and comfort of the bed.

Mollymauk was still very much asleep beside him, sprawling slightly on his back, some hair tangled up into his horns. A small smile crept across Caleb’s lips, and he reached out to carefully brush the tangled hair from his horns. Mollymauk stirred at this and stretched languidly, a comfortable hum escaping him.

Caleb retracted his hand and twisted so he was on his side, one head resting on his arm. “Good morning, Mollymauk,” he said softly.

Mollymauk lifted his head to turn and look at him, a satisfied smile growing on his handsome features. “Good morning,” he replied, before yawning. “What time is it?”

“Just over three hours past sunrise,” said Caleb immediately. “The others are probably awake already.”

His comfortable and relaxed mood faded a little bit as he considered what to tell the rest of their companions. No one had disturbed them all night, indicating that Fjord must have found somewhere else to sleep, and so there would be no hiding that Caleb had spent the night with Mollymauk.

“What do you want to tell the others?” he asked quietly, rolling to stare up at the ceiling.

He felt Mollymauk shrug next to him. “Nothing. They can draw their own conclusions, and it doesn’t matter either way.” He nudged Caleb gently. “The only concern this would raise is if it would interfere with our ‘work dynamic.’”

Caleb could almost hear the sarcasm in the last two words and snorted quietly. He sat up and winced at the soreness spreading across his body, but pushed through it to throw his legs over the side of the bed. He felt Mollymauk curl around him from behind and relaxed into the touch without thinking about it.

“Seriously, don’t worry about it,” he murmured against Caleb’s shoulder. “Just act like it’s another morning, and don’t let any comments get to you, alright?” He pressed a kiss into the nape of Caleb’s neck, then paused. “Are you okay?”

Caleb was silent for a couple of seconds. Then he nodded slowly. “Yes. I am alright.” He turned his head to catch Mollymauk out of the corner of his eye. “I had a good night, and I have no regrets, if that is what you are asking.”

Mollymauk grinned and pressed a quick kiss to Caleb’s cheek. “Good. That’s very good to know.”

-    -

Jester was glancing hopefully at the stairs every five minutes or so, and Fjord wasn’t sure if it was making his headache even worse or not. He tried to ignore her in favor of his breakfast, a delicious mound of bacon piled on eggs with some bread on the side.

When Caleb and Molly did finally come down, Fjord (and the others) couldn’t help looking up and eyeing them carefully. Jester looked like she was about to burst. Beau was casually trying not to look like Jester had convinced her of what had transpired last night, while Yasha sighed next to her and looked unimpressed but curious all the same. Nott was squinting at Molly suspiciously.

Caleb paused when he caught sight of everybody watching them and Fjord watched a blush spread across his cheeks and down his neck. Molly pushed in front of him to collapse into the chair next to Fjord.

“Good morning,” he said jovially. “Has anyone ordered me some breakfast? Gods, but I’m starving.” He waved the barkeep over when no one appeared to summon food directly in front of him.

Caleb was much slower to sit, but did so in the remaining chair between Molly and Nott. He patted Nott on the head before adding a breakfast request to the tail end of Molly’s order. Fjord shrugged to himself and went back to eating his bacon. Things seemed fine with them to him.

Jester, on the other hand, had her chin cradled in both hands and was flicking her gaze back and forth between Molly and Caleb, her smile growing wider and wider.

Finally, as if she couldn’t hold it any longer, she burst out with, “ _So,_ did you have a good _reading_ last night?” The innuendo was ladled on so heavily to “reading” that she might as well have said what she’d been thinking anyway.

Caleb choked on a cup of water, his blush returning and deepening to a darker red. Fjord cocked an eyebrow. Maybe there was more here than he had thought. He frowned over at Jester, who was grinning triumphantly.

Fjord caught Molly reaching out to touch Caleb’s knee and give it a reassuring squeeze, and began wondering if, by some stroke of luck and perceptiveness, Jester had been right all along.

“Oh, it was a wonderful _reading,”_ said Molly to Jester, laying on just as much emphasis as she had. “I think Caleb learned a lot about himself, and I certainly learned a bit about him too.” He winked, and Jester had to cover her mouth as she giggled.

Caleb had all but disappeared into his coat, and refused to look anyone in the eye, but he stayed put, and after a few visible deep breaths, straightened up in his chair. “Mollymauk’s readings are actually very informative,” he said casually. “And he takes them very seriously.”

Beauregard snorted and mumbled around her cup of water, “I’m sure it was some riveting edubation.”

Jester jerked face down on the table, shoulders shaking. As Caleb’s blush deepened, Fjord threw his hand out at Beau in a what-the-fuck manner. “Y’all, give it a rest. Leave the poor man alone, will you?”

Beau shrugged with a roll of her eyes and sat back in her chair. Jester peeked up from the table to grin through her giggles at Caleb. He sighed heavily and started rubbing his temples. “I assure you, there was an actual, thorough reading.”

“Oh, sure,” said Jester. “Very informative, right? And did the reading leave a hickey under your ear?”

Fjord was about to haul Jester out of her chair and take her to the side to have a talk about boundaries, but stopped in mild disbelief when Caleb slapped a hand to his neck, expression morphing from mildly annoyed to mortified, at the same time that Molly stiffened and whipped his head around to look at Caleb.

And, well… that kind of a reaction was really all he needed to know that Jester had apparently been right.

The table dissolved in raucous shouting from Jester and Beau, countered by Molly’s accusatory “ _there isn’t even a hickey!_ ” while Yasha and Fjord exchanged a tired look. Nott was patting Caleb desperately, who had once again sunk into his coat and looked like he wanted the ground to rise up and swallow him.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough.” Fjord let his deep voice rumble over the table, instantly shutting the others up, and everyone looked at him questioningly. He sighed and closed his eyes for a second. It was still too early and he was too hungover for this. “Listen,” he started, finally looking up between Jester and Molly and Caleb. “It’s none of our business what they do behind closed doors, _Jester._ ” She pouted at this, but it was hard to take seriously with her lips still twitching up in a satisfied smile. “But what happens behind closed doors has to stay there, any drama involved and all.” At this he looked at Molly and Caleb, raising and eyebrow. “We don’t need any of this kind of thing interfering with party dynamic. We have a good thing going on, and I’d like it to stay that way.”

It was Caleb who spoke up, to Fjord’s surprise, in response to his small speech. He was looking in Fjord’s direction, but still avoiding eye contact.

“Nothing we did or will do will make a difference when we’re working,” he said shortly. “I would hope that we all know how to act like adults, _ja_?” A glance flickered over to Jester.

Fjord nodded. “That’s all I needed to hear. Whether you two keep this up or not _isn’t our business_.”

Caleb shot him a thankful look, and relaxed a little bit in his chair. Molly was at his side looking relatively impressed and pleased that Caleb had spoken up for them, and he gave him a pat on the back in thanks. The table fell back into an easy silence as the latecomers finished their breakfast.

Fjord finished his breakfast and stood, ready to change out of last night’s clothes and retrieve his armor from his room. He paused on his way up to his room, and clapped Molly on the shoulder, leaning down next to him. “There had better be new sheets before this evening.” And then he left, praying that the room at the very least didn’t smell weird.

-    -

Molly was preparing to leave the tavern with the others, finishing up by slinging his sword belt on, when he heard a knock at the door. He figured Fjord wouldn’t have knocked if he’d forgotten something, so he called, “Come in,” over his shoulder as he fastened the belt.

The door creaked open and he turned around to see Nott padding into the room. Molly cocked an eyebrow. He wasn’t surprised, per say, but hadn’t expected her to jump at the soonest chance to get him alone. He shrugged inwardly and cast a smile at the goblin.

“Hello, Nott. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

She regarded him for a solid ten seconds, head tilted back and gaze appraisive. Molly shifted on his feet and looked evenly down at her.

When she finally spoke, it was quiet and serious. “I don’t want him to get hurt.”

Molly sighed, expecting this, and raised his hands in a placating gesture. Nott stopped him before he could talk as she began to pace around the room, for once keeping her hands to herself, her gaze not wandering.

“I’m not- I’m not _bothered_ by what happened. I’m just worried that he’ll get hurt.” She looked back to Molly, and frowned. “But today, when we were getting ready, he looked the most relaxed and content than I have ever seen him.”

Molly blinked, honestly a little surprised. He walked over to Nott to knelt before her. “The last thing I want to do is hurt him, Nott,” he said, holding her eyes and attempting to push as much sincerity into his voice as he could. He smiled a little. “I would never want to see him hurting, and I would rather not like to see what you would do to me if I ever did.”

Nott sniffed and eyed him warily. “Are you patronizing me?”

He shook his head. “Honest-to-the-Gods, no. I am not. I know how you feel about him, and I know how good you are with your crossbow. Now you know how I feel. I care deeply for Caleb, and I will do everything in my power not to hurt him.”

Nott was silent for a moment before nodding curtly. “Okay. I believe you. But the moment I see any funny business…” She bared her teeth at him and a dagger was quite suddenly in her hand where it hadn’t been a second before.

Molly stood up, hands out before him. “Entirely understood. You don’t have to worry about that.”

She eyed him carefully as she backed out of the room, sheathing the knife right before she left and parting ways with a quick, “Good!” And then she was gone.

Molly carded a hand through his hair between his horns and sighed heavily. That had actually gone a lot better than he had imagined it might. Much better than his initial fantasy of Nott cornering him in the hall with her crossbow aimed up at his neck.

Her concerns were valid. But he hadn’t told her a single lie. He hoped to the Moonweaver that wherever this went with Caleb, it wouldn’t hurt the man. It was about time he found some good in his life beyond his books.

With a satisfied, if slightly shaky sigh, Molly checked himself over for all of his gear before sheathing his swords and stepping out into the hallway to join his companions downstairs.

All things considered, this morning had gone as well as he could have expected. And, if he was already thinking about what he could do tonight, that would be between him and Caleb.

**Author's Note:**

> The tarot reading involves the Major and Minor Arcana, as well as some expanded cards created from Exandria's pantheon. The layout is also fictionalized, meant to invoke the waning, full, and waxing moon for the Moonweaver.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading it! Please let me know what you think below.


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